The Ethanol "Debacle"

Washington DC January 22, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that Alan Caruba, founder of the National Anxiety Center, is questioning the notion promoted by Congressional Democrats that Americans can save the environment if they just fill up their tanks with ethanol. He says the world is not running out of oil, and suggests that the U.S. should seek to achieve true energy independence through exploration and extraction of known oil and natural gas supplies.

"Currently, Congress permits access to just three percent of onshore federal oil and 13 percent of onshore federal gas under standard lease terms," he writes in the Free Market News.

"While the Democrats in Congress proceed toward anointing ethanol as the 'answer' to our transportation energy needs, 51 percent of the oil and 27 percent of the natural gas known reserves are completely off-limits to use."

Problems with ethanol use include a 34 percent reduction in energy output from gasoline, a price increase per gallon by 20 to 80 cents, and a level of corrosiveness that requires it to be transported by truck or rail because it will damage pipelines. Finally, Caruba points out, since U.S. corn accounts for one-fourth of all grain exports, a rise in the price could result in food shortages around the world.